Haria

Haria, or 'the village of one thousand palm trees', is the capital of the municipality and is characterised by its beautiful landscapes and crystal clear waters at Orzola.

A little history

Although the pre-Spanish origins of the name of Haria are unknown, it is known that its name comes from a phonetic degeneration of the term 'faria', used in the times of the conquest.

The municipality suffered various invasions from outside and from pirate attacks. The most devastating occurred in 1586, in which all the palm trees were burned, but thanks to the fact that they grew again, today it is known still as the village of a thousand palm trees.

Situated in the north east of the island, the following villages depend upon it: Arrieta, Órzola,, Punta Mujeres, Tabayesco, Ye, Charco del Palo, Guinate, Maguez and Mala.

The local festivals worth mentioning are: San Juan (24th June with the burning of the bonfires), San Pedro, El Cristo de la Sed, the carnivals, and the festival of El Pino.

What to see

At El Mirador del Río, one can enjoy the splendid views of La Graciosa and La Alegranza through the enormous windows of the terrace. It was built in 1973, and later altered by Cesar Manrique, who converted into a viewpoint. The facade of the building is a stone wall that almost completely hides the construction.

La Cueva de los Verdes is a natural cave that was prepared for visitors by Jesús Soto in 1964. The interior of the cave maintains its natural form; the only intervention by man has been the installation of systems of music and lighting. Also, an auditorium has been installed that due to its shape and architecture blends in perfectly with the rest of the cave.

Los Jameos del Agua is a reformation of one of the end parts of a volcanic tube. It was built in 1968 as a tourist site by Jesus Soto and Luis Morales from an idea by Cesar Manrique. In its interior there is a restaurant, gardens, pool, auditorium and museum - 'House of the Volcanoes'.

Other interesting places to visit are the numerous churches and houses that are found in Haria: the church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion, church of San Juan, (from C17), church of Santa Barbara, Casa Curbelo, Casa de los Señores Paz Curras, Casa de Cesar Manrique...

Furthermore, the cliffs at Famara, the Rio salt flat, the combination of volcanic rock at La Quemada, the volcano of La Corona, and Los Helechos are all notable for their extraordinary beauty.